Research Proposal on "Family Therapy"

Research Proposal 18 pages (5932 words) Sources: 27 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Generational Boundary Dissolution Among Adoptive Families

Contribution of This Research

Attachment, Relationships, and Adoption

Characteristics of Weak Family Boundaries

The Generational Gap

Learning to Set Boundaries

Role of the Therapist

Generational boundary dissolution among adoptive families

Generational boundary dissolution presents as a crisis in many families. Generational boundaries are important for the development of the individual, within the framework of the family system. The area of generational boundaries is a relatively new concept in the field of family therapy. At this point, many of the techniques used are based on theory, rather than empirically tested ideals. Research into this area is young, presenting many avenues for exploration and research.

Much of the research into generational boundaries is based on the two-parent family model (Madden-Derdich, Estrada, Ulloa, & Updegraff, et al., 2002). This research will utilize theory and methods developed to date, only it will apply it to a unique situation within the family structure. This research will utilize interactional analysis to examine generational boundary dissolution among families of adoptive children. The premise is based on the theory that parental boundaries are established early in life (Barber, 2001). By adolescence, these patterns are destined to have a dramatic impact on the development of adolescents.

Children, who are adopted early in life, are more likely to resemble the generational boundary patterns of

Continue scrolling to

download full paper ⤓

their adoptive parents. However, for children who are raised in one household and then adopted in their early adolescent years, the early generational boundaries established in their first family will have a dramatic impact on the function of their adoptive families. This research will use interactional pattern analysis to explore the generational boundary patterns in adoptive families that are symptomatic for generational boundary dissolution.

The Research Problem

Background of the Problem

Human society exists due to the existence of boundaries. Human beings have many different sets and levels of boundaries that help define where we view our place in the world. We have physical boundaries, which constitutes the immediate area around our bodies (Savage, 2002). We have intellectual boundaries where we demand respect for out own ideas and thoughts. Emotional boundaries involve respect for our feelings (Savage, 2002). Social boundaries are set for out limits to social contact. This boundary is crossed whenever someone criticizes another for their likes and dislikes. We also have sexual boundaries and money boundaries. We also have time boundaries, which involves respect for how someone chooses to get things done (Savage, 2002).

These boundaries are personal and everyone must set their own boundaries. Some of these are conscious boundaries and others are unconscious boundaries. When boundaries in any of these areas are crossed, conflict can result. When someone crosses a boundary, it makes us feel violated or angry. When someone crosses a boundary, it can be seen as a personal affront (Savage, 2002). Recognizing and respecting boundaries is a key to eliminating and avoiding conflict and challenges. Understanding personal boundaries is the key to understanding conflict and conflict resolution. Boundaries serve three primary purposes, to keep people from coming into our space, to keep us out of other people's spaces, and to give us a sense of completeness (Savage, 2002).

Within a family, members set boundaries. Where boundaries are nonexistent or weak, family members often intrude on each other's space (Savage, 2002). Outward signs of this are speaking for each other, feeling and thinking for each other (Savage, 2002). Often family members in a situation with weak boundaries will have trouble separating their own feelings from those of other family members. Research has demonstrated that family members from this type of family may have a poorly defined sense of self (Savage, 2002).

In families with weak boundaries, others in the family enter bedrooms and bathrooms without knocking (Savage, 2002). They may borrow something without asking, or they may share personal information without asking permission from that person (Savage, 2002). These intrusions are often the cause of family conflict and difficulty relating to one another. Often the person who does the intruding will not recognize that they have crossed a boundary, but the other person may see it differently. Often it does not occur to the person who is doing the intruding to ask permission from the other person. Permission is assumed in this case. The person doing the intruding acts as if they know what the other person would want and acts as if they are the authority on the other person.

Boundaries are defined by family culture and norms. There are two ends of the spectrum. On one end, the family has strictly defined boundaries. Everyone knows where everyone else stands and there are set consequences for stepping out of line. In other families, it is difficult to distinguish if boundaries even exist. It appears to be a free-for-all with everyone stepping on each other's toes, and everyone else expecting it. Many families fall somewhere in between these two ends of the spectrum. These expectations are a part of family culture.

Rationale

Families that exhibit weak generational boundaries are often plagued by a variety of problems. They are conflict ridden, often caused when one person in the family steps across a boundary drawn by another. The children will be unwilling to express internal emotions, often burying them to maintain the peace. In a family with weak generational boundaries, individual development is stifled.

Family therapy recognizes the importance of establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries between family members. Families with clearly established boundaries help to promote the development of well-adjusted family members. One of the key goals of family therapy is to help families establish and learn to maintain proper boundaries within the family system. This research will use this rationale as the key concept behind the proposed research.

An examination of current theory and practice in the area of generational boundaries and generational boundary dissolution reveals that many of the techniques and diagnostic tools are based on theory, rather than observation. One of the most pressing issues in this area of research is the ability to tie theory to clinical application. From a clinical perspective, the assessment of family structure can be assessed through interaction patterns that occur between various family members (Madden-Derdich, Estrada, Ulloa, & Updegraff, et al., 2002). Previous research in this area indicates that problems in families are a result of the breakdown of the power hierarchy that places the parent at the top (Madden-Derdich, Estrada, Ulloa, & Updegraff, et al., 2002). This forces the child to assume the spousal or parental role and generational boundaries are violated. Power struggles may result as the displaced parent or parents struggle to regain control.

It should be clear that generational boundaries play a key role in the development of an independent and autonomous individual. The dissolution of generational boundaries disrupts the normal parent-child relationship and redefines it in such a manner as to create a power struggle within the unit. Adopting a pre-teen to teen-age child requires major adjustments on both the new family and the child. The child will bring "baggage" with them from their formative years. Sometimes this baggage may include dissolution of family boundaries due to a parent who cannot define themselves as such. In this case, the adopted child may display the tendency towards a more mature family relationship, such as that of a parent or mate. They may have had to play a parental role towards younger siblings. These early experiences will help to define the manner in which they view relationships with their new adoptive parents. Children who have grown up in a parent or mate role may be resistive when placed in a family with clearly defined parent and child roles. This research will explore the parent-child roles in families who have adopted pre-teen or adolescent children.

Hypothesis

Much of the information that could be found regarding generational boundaries is theoretical. Therefore, this research will be based on a theoretically-based premise regarding generational boundaries. The research will use interactional analysis to explore the following hypothesis:

H1: Children who have been adopted after the age of 10 will display parent-like or mate- like generational boundaries more frequently than children who have been in the same family since birth.

The null hypothesis will state that, "Children who have been adopted after the age of 10 will not display parent-like or mate-like generational boundaries statistically more frequently than children who have been in the same family since birth. The hypothesis will be examined using a comparison of the results of interactional analysis between these two groups.

Research Questions

As the field of research into generational boundaries is relatively new, many questions could be answered through research. Many areas need to be addressed. The problem of adoption in the teen years presents many adjustment problems for the families and the teen. This research will attempt to explore the root of problems related to switching generational boundary styles by using adopted pre-teens and teens. A comparison of these two chosen groups will allow us to explore issues related to generational boundaries beyond… READ MORE

Download Full Paper

Write a New Paper for Me

Quoted Instructions for "Family Therapy" Assignment:

“

I will hereby give you an idea of the research topic i would like to pursue for my PhD, not having researched the parameters myself but needing that to be done from your side and assisting me to come up with a proposal in line with an original contribution to the field of psychology.

This research proposal should later on be followed by the actual dissertation once approved by my specific institution of choice. Thus your further input may be needed in the very near future along the lines of the findings of this proposal.

I will be including for you an outline prescribed for me by my institution as a parameter in an effort to give you insight into their requirements of myself in my presentation of my proposal.

The research topic should be along the lines of = Interactional pattern analysis within symptomatic families where cross generational boundary crossing presents a problem.

The aim of this resaerch topic should be to consider previous research undertaken in line with this area of interest and to establish a new and unique analysis of the structural problem within the family system that needs to be addressed if families are to be effective across generational boundaries. Looking at the various interactional patterns among members of the family that create such symptomatic families and ineffective outcomes, which may then lead to ineffective interactions within the next generational system that originated from the dysfunctional system of origin going forward.

OUTLINE GIVEN;

I need an adequate sample of earlier work done on this topic, considering journal articles,dissertations, informal reports, book reviews, articles, internet referencing.Recent literature should be the key focus and then later sources.

Listing results of the literature search in the form of a list of references relating to my proposed research, with brief annotations indicating their relevance. ( the topic should be a manageable size and of adequate scope.

A brief intro in which the parameters applied to my literature search are specified.

Refernces should be in accordance with the APA (5th edition) version.

The search and resulting list of references should not be limited to empirical investigations, but include relevant theoreticsl and methoddological contributions.

The research should contribute in some way to psychological knowledge or insight. Therefore a critical evaluation of existing theoretical knowledge should be undertaken.

Writing a justification not exceeding 3000 words for the proposed investigation including a statement of the research problem or context of the research topic and a brief critical evaluation of existing research and theoretical knowledge relating to this problem. Also include derivation of research questions that may guide my research hypotheses i propose to test. The contribution my research is expected to make to existing knowledge should be indicated explicitly.

The approach to be used may be quantitative, qualitative or both depending on the proposed expectation...this may be assessed through previous papers approaches....please inform me of the intended approach as the proposal unfolds.

If a qualitative approach; please specify which research material should be collected, justifying my choice of technique and theoretical basis. If quantitative, please specify which variables are relevant to my investigation and indicate how each will be measured; describing briefly way of measurement, justifyinmg choice and theoretical basis and if relevant its availability, metric properties and standardisation.

Briefly describe my proposed sample, research design, data collection procedure and method of analysis, justifying every choice. Refer to the assumptions underlying my proposed analysis and its tenability.

Therefore the research proposal should include;

The suggested title of the dissertation

The research problem

Literature survey

Research design

Data analysis

Table of contents

References

Appendices

Many thanks for your kind and valuable assistance, it is greatly appreciated! *****

How to Reference "Family Therapy" Research Proposal in a Bibliography

“Family Therapy.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2009, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258. Accessed 3 Jul 2024.

Family Therapy (2009). Retrieved from https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258

A1-TermPaper.com. (2009). Family Therapy. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258 [Accessed 3 Jul, 2024].

”Family Therapy” 2009. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258.

”Family Therapy” A1-TermPaper.com, Last modified 2024. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258.

[1] ”Family Therapy”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2009. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258. [Accessed: 3-Jul-2024].

1. Family Therapy [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2009 [cited 3 July 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258

1. Family Therapy. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/generational-boundary-dissolution-among/7481258. Published 2009. Accessed July 3, 2024.

Related Research Proposals: